Luge Chief on Whistler Track; Olympic Withdrawal; Canada Taps 2014 Team Leader

Luge Leader Backs Whistler Despite Legal Battle

Secretary general Svein Romstad tells Around the Rings the International Luge Federation is committed to next year’s Whistler world championships as well as ongoing World Cups in both Calgary and Whistler.

"We are going to have the world championships in Whistler," he told ATR late Friday from this year’s world champs in Altenberg, Germany.

"We have for the future regularly scheduled World Cups on both the Calgary track and the Whistler track. That I can absolutely say."

Romstad’s reassurance follows a Thursday report from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that FIL is fighting to keep secret the details of the track on which Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili died during a training run hours before the opening of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.

The CBC quotes heavily from a recent letter sent by FIL’s legal counsel to the British Columbia Information and Privacy Commissioner, who possesses the documents in question about Whistler Sliding Center.

FIL writes that the information’s release would "result in international federations not being forthcoming in cooperating with authorities should a similar tragedy take place in the future on Canadian soil," according to the CBC.

The letter also threatens that FIL will "reconsider awarding future competitions to Canada" if the findings see the light of day.

Romstad declined to comment on the ongoing legal proceedings in British Columbia until the appeals but was happy to talk about the world champs in Altenberg, where Austria claimed doubles gold and bronze in the weekend’s first event.

"It’s been very well-attended, and it’s great weather here," he told ATR. "It’s typical classic German event. It’s very well run, so I’m very very pleased with it so far."

Men’s singles follows Saturday with women’s singles and team relay Sunday.

Aussie Sailors Pull Out

Women’s match racing will make its Olympic debut without one of its top teams in tow.Australian sailors Nicky Souter, Katie Spithill and Jessica Eastwell placed fifth at December’s world championships in Perth to qualify for London but announced Friday they will forego the Games.

"After a number of years working towards the London 2012 Olympic Games our team has made the decision to cease our campaign," the team said in a statement.

"We do not believe the new combination can develop its obvious potential sufficiently in the short time remaining."

Souter, Spithill and Eastwell teamed up just six months ago.

Canada Names 2014 Chef de Mission

Olympic medalist Steve Podborski will be chef de mission for Team Canada at the Sochi Olympics.

"It is such an honor to be named Chef de Mission of the 2014 Canadian Olympic Team," Podborski said during the announcement on Friday. "In 2010, Canada’s athletes proved that they are a force to be reckoned with, and I look forward to supporting them as they reach for the podium in Sochi."

Podborski, a former alpine skier, was one of "the Crazy Canucks", a group of Canadian skiers that competed from the mid 1970s through the early 1980s known for aggressive skiing and defeating the European-dominated ski circuit.

He won a bronze medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics in the downhill event.

"Steve Podborski is an icon in Canadian winter sport, and we are pleased that he has accepted to take on this role," said Canadian Olympic Committee President Marcel Aubut. "He is the ideal candidate to be our Chef de Mission in Sochi."

Podborski’s first order of business will be to select the team’s assistant chef de mission. Podborski will also play a central role in the COC leadership team helping to prepare athletes and teams for Sochi.

Written by Ed Hula III.

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